Pros and Cons
by clarinet-alto-4ever
Summary: Hermione makes a list of the good and bad reasons to be liking a particular guy. But what happens when that guy sees the list? Rated T to be safe. HGSS
1. The List

Disclaimer: I don't own J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter." Shucks.

I sighed. Another afternoon of double potions was drawing closer every minute. I dreaded it just as much as Harry and Ron, though for different reasons and therefore ate my lunch while thinking about it while they went on about whether Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would win the Quidditch game the following day. Surely every girl had this problem at least once in her life. I couldn't be the only one, could I? Perhaps the only girl to have picked this particular one, but it would seem that most girls found the problem of having a thing for a teacher at least once. Right? About halfway through lunch, Ron suddenly gasped.

"Hermione! Was that one foot essay for Snape due today?" he asked urgently.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Ron. I reminded you about it last night. Did you play chess instead of writing it again?"

Ron's face held a look of extreme guilt as he admitted he had. I honestly felt no pity for him as he whipped out a piece of parchment and a quill to write the essay in the next ten minutes. Surprisingly, he managed nine inches before it was time to head to class. Granted, his writing was rather big and the margins quite wide. If he really thought Snape wouldn't notice he was crazy, but good for him if he could pull it off. I doubted it though.

The three of us joined Neville and made our way towards the dungeons with Ron still scribbling furiously. We reached the classroom with a full five minutes to spare, but seeing as how all the Slytherins were already there, we each lost five points for Gryffindor for being 'late.'

I didn't let it bother me too much and just put my book bag down before taking my seat. Snape glared in our direction before waving his wand which put instructions on the blackboard. "You have two hours. Begin. You had better not meander around because the potion has to brew for a full forty-five minutes before you can add the ending ingredients. Please place your essays on my desk."

He was right; we would have to move fast to get it to the brewing stage and have time left for it to sit. Harry and Ron partnered up, and I worked with Neville. I told Neville to start heating up the cauldron as I went to turn in our essays and gather ingredients. I walked over to Professor Snape's desk and placed our parchments on the pile trying to avoid the Professor's sharp gaze. However, I was unfortunately unsuccessful and met his eyes before blushing and quickly walking to the storage compartment. I could feel his glare follow my back, but I refused to turn around. I hurriedly got what Neville and I needed and rushed back to our work space.

Neville and I managed to get everything done relatively easily, not counting the burn Neville sustained on his hand. Truthfully, that was actually very good considering usually a class didn't go by when Neville didn't blow something up or created some new poison by adding the ingredients incorrectly. We sat back and Neville soon joined Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean in a hushed conversation about their favorite subject, Quidditch.

I decided to take this down time to finish the contemplating I had been doing during lunch. I pulled out a piece of parchment and resolved to figure this problem out my favorite way – by compiling a pros and cons list.

I drew a line down the center of the parchment and wrote pros on the left and cons on the right then underlined them. I titled the list "Reasons for and against liking him." I supposed I had better not put the name. Imagine the horror of the parchment falling into the wrong hands! I don't think there's a single girl in this school besides me who would actually make a list like this, so anyone who picked it up would automatically assume it was me. Well, it was time to start making the list. I always started with the pro side first, and I knew exactly the first quality that would go there. I wrote "intelligent" in my neat handwriting.

There was no doubt about that one. Granted, I hadn't had the pleasure of having an intelligent conversation with him, but I could just tell from the way he brewed his potions. You couldn't be stupid and become one of the most renowned potion makers in Britain. Not to mention his extensive knowledge of Defense of the Dark Arts, and even his knowledge of the Dark Arts. It was, of course, one thing to know how to do the Dark Arts, but another if you actually did them. Dumbledore surely knew all about them, but he didn't use them, and that's exactly how I saw his situation. And of course, he'd survived all this time as an excellent spy, and no bumbling idiot could pull one over on You-Know-Who.

I thought about the next pro for the list. I smiled as I wrote "tall", "dark", and "handsome." It was quite cliché, but so true all the same. He was quite tall and I must say that I've always had a weakness for a man that could tower over me and protect me so to say. His dark hair that came down to his chin looked ideal for running fingers through. Well, if he would wash it. I made "hygiene" the first entry to the cons list. But goodness knows I was a sucker for dark hair. Just look at the boys I've liked. There was that short crush on Harry, the thing I had with Viktor, and now him. Handsome was surely the perfect word. He really was handsome in his own way. It wasn't Harry's boyish looks or Viktor's husky demeanor. It was more of a sensitive soul. Ok, sensitive was probably not the correct adjective to describe Severus Snape, but then again, who really knew the inner Snape? His eyes held the look of someone who had seen more in his years than he needed to, someone who had a past and just needed someone to share it with. I smiled. Why couldn't I be that girl?

I figured I should try to find some cons besides the greasy hair one to try to even out the list a little bit. I decided that the fact that he had been a Death Eater would be a con, so I added "original allegiance" to the con list. I made sure and put original in there because I fully believed that he was Dumbledore's man through and through now.

I thought about it a bit more though. I worried about what he had done back when he was a Death Eater. Who knows the horrors he had faced. How many had he killed? Tortured? Cursed beyond repair?

The thoughts were shaken from my mind when Neville asked me how much longer we had to wait. I quickly hid my list and checked the clock. "We still have 20 minutes, Neville. We're only halfway there." He nodded and then rejoined Harry and the others in their intense discussion.

I pulled my list back out and dwelled on what needed to be added. The age difference occurred to me. Yes, he was almost twenty years my senior, but in the Wizarding World, did that really matter all that much? Wizards lived to see 150 quite often, and when I'm 90 will it make much difference that he's 110? Surely not. Actually, an older man would be more mature, wiser, and experienced in life than those my age. Look at Ron for example! Nevertheless, I decided to leave it off of the list completely.

What else needed to go on the list? Ah, yes. I added "sense of humor" to the pros list. Odd though it may seem, I quite enjoyed his sarcastic, biting humor. What I wouldn't give to be able to enter a battle of wits with him and not have to fear detention or point deduction. I let my mind stray for a minute or two while I imagined us in a friendly debate over some nonsense issue that culminated in making up. I grinned to myself and was completely lost in a day dream world until Neville once again nudged me.

"Hermione, are you ok? You look all glazed over. How much time do we have now?"

I quickly pulled myself out of my enchanting visions and checked my watch. "Just five more minutes now, Neville. We got everything ready before, so all we have to do is throw in those last three ingredients." He nodded and once again went back to the group of boys, whose conversation was getting louder every minute. I had the bad feeling that Snape was going to come over very soon and get after them.

I went back to my list. It wasn't very extensive yet. I only had five on the pros side and two to the cons side. That was encouraging. There were more reasons to like him than not at the moment. I tried to think of some more cons. The most obvious one was bothering me a lot at the moment. The fact that he was my professor was a major issue. Despite the fact that I was already seventeen, professor/student relationships were not acceptable in the least. However, I hesitated to add it to the list. If I put that there, anybody who found the list could easily determine the object of my current obsession. I decided that I'd put it on the list and charm it to appear as something else.

I had just written it and pulled out my wand to charm it when a soft voice from behind me made my blood run cold. "And what do you have here, Miss Granger?" I froze and before I could hide the list or protest, Snape had grabbed it out of my hands.

"Reasons for and against liking him," he read out loud. I can only imagine that my cheeks turned a vibrant red. He was going to read the list out loud. I was going to be forever laughed at for the rest of my life. He continued, "Pros: Intelligent. Well, that obviously disqualifies Mr. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom," Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Harry stomped on his foot to shut him up. Neville just hung his head like he always did every time Snape insulted him. "Tall, dark, and handsome. Well, the handsome deletes Mr. Potter from the list." Harry took the insult in stride, knowing that an outburst would only result in point deductions. I could hear Malfoy and the other Slytherins laughing behind me. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment, but it was only going to get worse when he got to the cons side.

I dared to look up and noticed Snape's eyes drift to the right side of the parchment. They narrowed. I knew he had gotten to the word "professor" and I saw the dawn of realization in his face. He sneered at me and whispered in a deadly tone, "Detention, Miss Granger, tomorrow evening and we can discuss the rest of your list."

I let out the breath I had been holding. Detention was nothing compared to the consequences of having the rest of that list read out loud to the entire class. Snape lazily dropped the parchment and it floated down to my hands where I hastily stuffed it into my book bag. Neville and I added the last three ingredients and each corked a vial of it. I begged him to take mine up to Snape's desk, and he did so quite reluctantly. I hurried out of there just as soon as he said class dismissed and ran straight for Gryffindor Tower. I collapsed onto my bed and began crying my eyes out.

A/N: Well, I had originally planned for this to be a one-shot, but I just took off and it really seems like it needs to continue. What do you think? Drop me a review and let me know.


	2. Repercussions

A/N: I'm still not really sure where I want this to go, and you can kinda see that in this chapter, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

It seemed like an age before I heard Ginny's soft, hesitant, "Hello?"

I sniffled and wiped the remaining tears from my eyes and turned to see my friend with a concerned look on her face. "Hey, Ginny. I guess you heard what happened, huh?"

She nodded. "Well, I heard the boys' version of it, but what really happened? I don't necessarily trust Ron to convey the facts very accurately."

I almost cracked a smile. "I'd imagine they got it pretty close to correct. There's not much they could screw up." I pulled out the list from the bottom of my book bag and handed it to Ginny. I had made sure to charm it as soon as I had gotten the first round of tears out so it no longer said "professor." She looked at it and I continued to explain, "Basically I was just pondering this, and since we had a full forty-five minutes to do nothing, I started the list. Then Snape snuck up on me and grabbed the list out of my hands before I could finish charming the last entry on the cons side."

Ginny glanced down to check what that was. "I'm guessing it didn't say 'big feet' when Snape saw it, huh?"

"Not quite," I replied. "Anyway, he started reading the list out loud, but when he glanced over at the cons side he put two and two together and realized who it was I liked." I let the sentence trail off in an attempt to avoid the question Ginny was inevitably going to ask. I was, however, unsuccessful.

"So, who is it then? And what should that last con actually say?"

I sighed. "It should say professor."

Her eyes widened with understanding. She opened her mouth to start to say something, closed it, and opened it again, but nothing came out for a little while longer. "I, uh, don't really know what to say," she finally spit out.

"It's alright, Ginny. It is quite of a shock. However, it can hardly be counted as a real crush. He's my professor for goodness' sake. It's a stupid thing that I'm trying to get rid of, so I made a list."

She looked skeptical at that last statement. "You're trying to get rid of it and yet you have 'tall, dark, and handsome' written on the pros side?"

I winced. "Well, that's what I was telling myself anyways. Thanks for pointing that out, Ginny," I said sarcastically.

She let a smile grace her face for a second before sheepishly mumbling an apology. "So, what are you going to do about detention tomorrow night?"

"I don't know, Ginny. I think I'm just going to go in there with my head held high and not try to deny it. I think that would be better on my part rather than trying to go in making up excuses and worming my way out of it. Either way, I'm up for a lot of humiliation."

We talked of other things for awhile before heading downstairs for dinner. We met the boys in the Entrance Hall and sat down at our usual seats. Harry was carefully avoiding all mention of the subject during the conversation, but Ron was squirming uncomfortably the whole time. He obviously wanted to ask about it. At one point he opened his mouth, but Harry gave him a hard nudge in the side to shut him up. I gave a look to Ginny and she shrugged.

I escaped to the library that night to avoid the pestering questions I knew I was going to get in the common room. I left the library at the last possible minute and headed towards Gryffindor Tower as slowly as possible. With just a few minutes to spare before curfew, I saw a tall figure coming towards me down the hall. I realized who it was almost instantly and ducked into the nearest broom closet, praying he hadn't seen me. Slowing down when he reached where I was, he took a look around as if trying to sniff out any student who was about to be caught outside of their dorms after hours. I tried to stifle my loud breathing, but it was in vain. His deep voice rang out in the silence. "Ms. Granger, I know perfectly well that you are hiding in that closet. I saw you run in there. I know you are avoiding me, but you can only do so until tomorrow evening. If you miss that detention, I will double it. As you continue to miss, I will continue doubling the number. Before you know it, you could be in detention with me for the rest of the year."

His voice dropped to a whisper. I doubted he intended for me to hear the next part, but I did. "However, I daresay that might be your intention." His voice trailed off as he started down the hall. I let out the breath I had been holding and left the safety of my broom closet. I had just taken a few steps when a voice behind me yelled out, "You're breaking curfew, Ms. Granger. Twenty points from Gryffindor. Get back to your dorm this instant!"

I ran as fast as I could.


	3. Detention

A/N: Yay! Another chapter. I hope it satisfies for awhile. It seems that I get a chapter up about every two months, so unless you get really lucky, we might be waiting till February or March for another one. (But I really hope not. I really want to see where this is going to end up, because frankly, I don't even know right now!) Anyway, enjoy! (And don't hurt me when you get to the end pretty please.)

The next day passed at an incredible rate. It's funny how when you're dreading something, time seems to laugh in your face and move faster. Before I knew it, we were eating dinner in the Great Hall and detention with Professor Snape was looming closer and closer.

On a brighter side, I received almost no smart-aleck comments about the day before. A bit of a scandal concerning a 6th year Ravenclaw and a 3rd year Hufflepuff overshadowed my little incident in the gossip vines.

I had completely lost my appetite during dinner and, instead, sat there watching Harry and Ron eat as much as they could. I made it a point to avoid looking at the staff table at all costs; but, at the same time, I could feel his eyes boring into me, even though they probably weren't. At ten minutes till 8:00, I got up and made my way towards the dungeons. Ginny gave me a comforting "You'll be ok" look. I stole a glance back at the staff table and noticed he was already gone. After a few deep breaths, I walked slowly to Snape's classroom.

I raised my hand to knock on the door, but before I did so, his voice rang out, "Come in, Ms. Granger." I inhaled deeply and slowly opened the heavy door to reveal his dark classroom just as murky and depressing as ever. I scuttled in very quietly and closed the door behind me not making a noise. Turning around I saw him sitting at his desk diligently grading papers. He hadn't even looked up to see me come in, but rather made almost no notice of me. I stood there watching him for what seemed like forever until he spoke in his soft, deadly voice. "Stop staring at me. Go scrub out the cauldrons in the corner, Ms. Granger. No magic. Cleaning supplies are in the storage cabinet. Get to work."

I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Surely I couldn't be lucky enough to escape having to explain the list! The jeer of staring at him was nothing compared to having to discuss that darn list! I practically ran to the cabinet and gathered what I needed to clean and began work right away.

I washed out cauldron after cauldron for a good two hours. I marveled at how much potion making Professor Snape must do to have all these cauldrons messy. But then again, when I thought of all the potions used throughout the castle, even just in the Infirmary alone, it was a lot and very impressive that one man did all of that. Just another thing to add to the pros list . . .

No! I mustn't think of that list! It's that list that got me here in the first place! I put an extra spurt of energy into my cleaning to clear my head.

I finished the rest of them within the next half hour. When I was done, I sat there for a minute letting my arms rest, but before I could say anything pertaining to the fact that I was finished, he spoke, still without looking up from his work, "Finished then, Ms. Granger?"

I muttered, "Yes, sir."

He replied very softly, "Then come here."

I visibly hesitated and cursed to myself. I hadn't gotten out of it, but then again, who had I been kidding? I remembered my resolution to stand tall and not deny anything, but with his silent demeanor and intimidating features, I felt like taking on Voldemort and a pack of Death Eaters instead. Nevertheless, I was going to face this like a man . . . er . . . woman. I walked purposefully to his desk and stood firm while he wrote a large red "F" on some unlucky paper (which I happened to notice had large and messy print with huge margins). He shifted that last paper to the finished pile and then with his wand sent them to another desk filled with other graded papers. He then finally looked up and made eye contact with me.

I was a huge mess of emotions with that single look. Fear and adoration were just two of them. I inhaled sharply as he looked into my eyes summing me up. It was almost too late when I realized he was using Legilimency against me. I quickly called up everything Harry had ever told me about Occlumency and tried to close off my mind to him. There was no way I was going to have him poking through all of my most private thoughts to find out what he wanted to know. Whatever he wanted, he was going to have to ask me himself, which he did as soon as he realized he was blocked out.

"Clever, Ms. Granger. You're obviously more of a natural Occlumens then Mr. Potter. I suppose we'll have to do this the old fashioned and probably more painful way." He looked at me for awhile with a contemplative look on his face. I could see the wheels in his head turning, wondering what to ask me first. He decided to be very vague, "Care to comment at all, Ms. Granger?"

Well, of course I wasn't going to offer any information without him directly asking for it, so I promptly replied with an almost defiant, "No." It didn't really come out the way I intended it for. It sounded almost like I was asking for another detention, which I wasn't doing even if he thought I was. I continued so it didn't sound so bad, "Sorry, Professor, but this isn't something I'm going to talk about freely. I'll be honest, but you're going to have to ask specific questions to get what you want from me. It's not like we're a couple of school girls talking about the school's cutest boys."

He studied me for a moment debating on how to continue the conversation now that I had obviously sent the ball back into his court. He looked down at his desk and rubbed his temples. I actually felt a bit bad. I was the cause of this. I wondered if I was going to get him in trouble with Dumbledore or even somebody higher like the school governors. Would he have to report this? So many worried questions were flying through my head that I completely missed his next question and had to ask him to repeat it.

He said it so softly that I had to strain to hear him. "What the bloody hell is going through that mind of yours, Ms. Granger, that you could even possibly find yourself liking me of all people?"


	4. Discussion

A/N: Oh my gosh! I'm updating within the week! Everyone should be SO proud of me. You should also not get very used to this, lol; school starts in a week! But it's amazing what a free afternoon and a bag of Reece's Pieces can do! As RedAngel9 pointed out, I never clarified what year she was in, so I've put in here to clear things up. I want to thank all of my reviewers again; I really appreciate all of you! I'm pretty happy with this chapter. It's all Hermione/Snape interaction, so enjoy! And I know . . . I'm a bit of a mean writer . . . oh well. 

I stared at him with a blank expression on my face. Never had I thought that he would be so blunt about the matter. I had always imagined him slyly perusing the subject, easing me into my confession. I had prepared myself to be on guard so as not to let him trick me into releasing any more information than absolutely necessary. But here he was asking me point blank.

"Ms. Granger? We can wait here all night if you like, but staying silent is not going to help you any." I snapped out of my thoughts and came back to the question at hand.

I tried to collect and organize my thoughts into a coherent and intelligent statement, something I was usually very good at. However, at this very moment with him right in front of me, my mind was a jumbled mess. I stuttered and muttered a bunch of nonsense. Snape raised his eyebrow at me. "What seems to be the problem, Ms. Granger? Your list seemed organized enough. Surely I haven't found a question you can't answer."

I bristled at his remark and quickly moved into debate mode. "Professor, the list answers that question. Obviously, I found five or so reasons for liking you, and I wasn't necessarily finished yet."

"Ms. Granger, according to your bloody list, you clearly realize that this is just not in any way possible," he began, but I quickly cut him off.

"Of course I do. That was the reason behind the last entry on the cons side, not to mention another one or two I hadn't written down yet."

"Such as?"

I dared to defy him. "This detention was for the purpose of discussing the list. Entries that were not on the list at the time of the detention being assigned are irrelevant."

He raised an eyebrow at my bravery. "Touché, Ms. Granger. If that's how you want to play the game, I can keep up. _Accio list_."

I inwardly freaked out. It was just what I needed: my list flying through the halls of Hogwarts. I checked the time. Thankfully it was late, so I hoped and prayed nobody would come across it flying through the halls. It flew into his classroom and into his hands a mere minute or so later.

He glanced at it and soon noticed the change. "Big feet, Ms. Granger?" He pretended to look down at his own feet and said almost casually, "I didn't realize they were so abnormally large."

I caught myself before I rolled my eyes. "I charmed it, Professor. I was about to do so yesterday when you grabbed it from my hands. You could hardly expect me to leave it there so the rest of the world could see it." I waved my wand and "big feet" went back to "professor."

"Smart, Ms. Granger, but just not quick enough, eh?"

I continued with my honest and blunt routine, "No, sir."

His eyes continued scanning the list. He mused aloud so I could hear, "Intelligent, obviously, no need for explanation there. I am rather tall. Dark, quite so. But handsome? Perhaps you were merely referring to the common Muggle cliché?"

I was ready with an answer this time. "While the cliché did come to mind, I do think you handsome." I left it there in hopes that would be enough of an answer to satisfy him.

"But not hygienic?" he quickly countered.

I squirmed only a little. "Your hair could use a good wash a little bit more often," I braced myself for what was not to come.

He paused a minute before replying, "Do you know, Ms. Granger, that you are the first to tell me that to my face? Over the years I've gotten many anonymous bottles of shampoo and whispers behind my back, but never has anyone had the pluck to tell it straight to me. Even Minerva would only say it loudly and annoyingly so I would overhear it at staff meetings. Quite rude, actually." If I had blinked, I would have missed the smallest upward movement of the corners of his mouth, but perhaps I had imagined it. He continued, "Perhaps now that I have heard it, I shall do something about it." But the look in his eyes suggested he would not change anything about his habits because of one eighteen year old girl.

He didn't let that hang in the air long before looking back to the parchment in his hands. "A sense of humor? I can hardly see that."

I became a bit more adamant about my reasons. "Oh, I do, sir. I have always had an odd attraction to a sarcastic sense of humor. For example," I couldn't believe I was offering this much information, but I forged ahead anyways, "yesterday when reading the list out to the class, had the situation been not so humiliating, the manner of words you used to eliminate Ron, Neville, and Harry from possibilities was actually quite humorous. Mean and snarky, yes, but humorous all the same." I knew I should have shut up then, but I kept going. "In fact, if one takes all of your comments in stride with a grain of salt as I have learned to do for the most part, you can really be funny and charming in your own quirky way."

"Do you mean to tell me, Ms. Granger, that you find my insults to you and your friends of all things, humorous?" A dangerous look was in his eyes, but I didn't back down.

"Yes. There are often times when either what you're saying is quite true or Harry and Ron blow what you say out of proportions or both."

I think the flattery of pointing out what he said was often true relaxed him to a point. "I will have to remember to be a bit, ahem, funnier in classes to come, then."

I had to try my absolute best not to burst out laughing right then and there.

He eyes moved over to the other side. "Now these are the two that concern me the most. Any comments or do I still have to be specific?"

"Specific, Professor."

"I am a professor; you are a student. Any relationship other than the professional kind is strictly forbidden. How were planning on overcoming this particular obstacle should I have, in some alternate reality, shown any interest whatsoever?"

His comment hurt ever so slightly, but I decided to come clean anyway. "Professor Snape, before I even started making that list, I had come to the conclusion that what I'm feeling is a mere "school girl crush" if you will. I can't possibly believe that this is anywhere near an all out romantic love directed at you." I let it hang in the air inconclusively.

"But?" he prompted.

"But," I hesitated, "But, I can see a possibility for it to grow into that over a period of time, probably most preferably in a few months after I've graduated and said relationship is no longer forbidden."

If he was shocked, he hid it well. He let it slide and moved ahead. "And this says 'original allegiance.' I gather then, that you do indeed believe Professor Dumbledore and do not heed to your dunderhead friends' assumptions that I am still a Death Eater through and through?"

"Yes. In fact, I have always defended you to Harry and Ron."

He looked mildly surprised at this, but his expression quickly darkened as he quietly said, "Doesn't the fact that I've killed and tortured bother you?"

I had the feeling this was about to turn into an even deeper and philosophical conversation, so I dove right in. "Professor Snape, I believe in forgiveness and mercy. I know that you do what you must for the good of wizardkind as a whole. I know deep down that you are a good man."

"How, pray tell, do you know this?"

"How do you not?" I replied softly.


	5. Confusion

A/N: This is fairly short, but I supposed I'd get SOMETHING up, rather than nothing. If everyone would prefer longer chapters (and longer waiting periods) I can certainly do so, but otherwise, I think I'll just update whenever I have a somewhat substantial amount that has a nice ending to it. This is somewhat of a "filler" chapter that introduces a new problem.

Severus Snape had had it with this insolent girl. Her blunt honesty and sharp tongue had driven him to the edge of insanity in the past thirty minutes. However, he was never one to lose his head and yell, and this would not be the first time. Instead, he adopted the soft, deadly voice he was so fond of. "Miss Granger, it is not your place to question my opinion of myself in any form or fashion. I have had enough of you for tonight. You're dismissed."

Hermione realized she pushed him a little too far with her last comment. She turned around and headed out the door. Her hand was on the handle when she heard behind her, "You will continue your detention tomorrow evening at the same time, Miss Granger." She sighed and left quickly before he could take any house points from her too.

It was close to midnight so she hurried to Gryffindor Tower so as not to be caught out after curfew. She made it to the portrait of the fat lady with moments to spare, said the password, and climbed in. Harry and Ginny were snuggled comfortably on the couch together enjoying the emptiness of the common room. She decided to let them be and started to the girls' dormitory, but Ginny called out to her, "Hermione! We were waiting for you. We didn't hear you come in."

Hermione turned around and raised an eyebrow. "I can only imagine that you didn't hear me," she said with a grin on her face. Harry and Ginny blushed. "I was going to not bother you."

Ginny overcame the embarrassment more quickly than Harry did and changed the subject. "How was detention with Snape?" she asked with a glint in her eye that Hermione recognized, but Harry was thankfully oblivious to.

Hermione gave Ginny a "I'll tell you more later, don't ask now" look before saying that she scrubbed out cauldrons for hours without magic, but what else was to be expected? Both Harry and Ginny expressed their sympathies with Hermione when she said that he wasn't through with her yet and she was due back the next evening as well.

The conversation soon turned to other more enjoyable subjects such as the upcoming Quidditch matches (which Hermione at least followed now to cheer Gryffindor to victory, even if she had no interest in the sport outside of Hogwarts' walls) and the fast approaching Hogsmead weekend. Time flew by and soon they were all sleepy. Ginny beat them all to the punch when she announced that she was going to bed after a pointed look from Harry that Hermione didn't see. Hermione was about to follow her when Harry asked her to stay for just a minute.

Hermione turned around and saw Harry staring at his feet and mumbling to himself. "What did you want to ask me, Harry?"

He muttered something that Hermione couldn't really make out. She caught words such as "Ron," "list," and "wondering." She assumed Harry and Ron were deathly curious about the list. The red hair peaking out from the hallway leading to the boys' dormitory confirmed this.

"Harry, just spit it out. I'm pretty sure I already know what you're going to ask about. The list, right?"

"Er, um, well, yes. Ron and I were just slightly curious as to who it was about. See, Ron kinda likes you and all, but your list said dark, so then we got into a small row about how it could be me, but then you know that Ginny and are . . . together I suppose, and we didn't think that you would do that against two of your best friends, so then we tried to figure out who it was and we had no clue so we decided that we should just ask you." Harry said all of this very quickly with no pauses and no clear sentences. It was just one long run-on.

Hermione sighed. She had hoped their fear of asking her would outweigh their curiosity, but she was sadly mistaken. There was no way she could tell them the truth. They might never speak to her again. She shook her head trying to shake the sudden hypothetical situation of Harry or Ron walking in on her and Snape . . .

"Er, Hermione?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "That's a bit of a personal question, don't you think, Harry? It was bad enough for our entire class to know half of his features . . ." Her statement hung in the air inconclusively.

"It's me, isn't it?"

Hermione realized that her hesitance caused his vain male ego to inflate and assume it was him. She also knew that denying it fiercely would only encourage the belief, and she didn't want Harry and Ron at odds. Always having to play messenger between the two hardheaded boys drove her crazy..

Not wanting Ron to overhear, she drew Harry a bit closer, "In total honesty it's not you; but, it's not Ron either. You two are like brothers to me. Tell him that for me, will you?"

Harry's eyes told her that he believed her and was relieved. However, he wasn't letting her off the hook so easily. "Sorry, Hermione. You're going to need to deal with that one yourself."

She sighed and hung her head. "I suppose you're right, but I'll just deal with it if it ever comes up. Just, don't encourage it, ok?"

He agreed and said goodnight. Hermione watched and listened as he walked up the stairs and soon began a hushed conversation with his best friend. Then she, too, went upstairs and went to bed.


	6. Conclusions

A/N: Well, here's another chapter. I think I have a better idea of where I want this to go, so at least one more chapter should be up relatively soon (at least relatively soon for me, lol). I'm kinda split on whether or not I like this particular chapter, so drop me a review and let me know. :) Enjoy! (As always, XOX indicates a change in pov.)

Ron warmed up to her slightly the next morning at breakfast. It seemed that Harry had told him that Hermione was not in love with Harry, but had not mentioned that she wasn't in love with him either. Hermione tread very carefully in her conversations with Ron so as to avoid the subject at all costs. She despised the fact that she was going to have to give him the "I see you as my brother" speech, but what else could be done?

The day again disappeared before Hermione's eyes. Before she knew it, classes were over and all that was left was dinner, homework, and more detention.

The majority of the seventh years were lazing about the common room before dinner when Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil decided to do what they do best – snoop and gossip. After diligently digging for all possible solutions to Hermione's mystery man, they had no choice but to ask her themselves. They had quickly eliminated Harry from the pool (their keen instincts told them he was like a brother to her). Ron and Neville hadn't fit the description. Dean wasn't exactly what one would call "intelligent" and had therefore been crossed off their extensive list. The two had systematically eliminated every 6th and 7th year, plus every eligible (and non-eligible, though they were pretty sure Hermione was too much of a goody-goody to ever even contemplate that) man who had graduated the year before. The two masterminds were at a loss and deeply curious as to where they had gone wrong in their calculations.

Hermione had been minding her own business reading up on the next unit to be discussed in Arithmancy when the two of them marched up to her and began making demands.

"So, Hermione, word has it that you have your eyes on a," Lavender checked her notes for a dramatic feel, "tall, dark, handsome, and intelligent man. We are here to offer our assistances in catching said man."

Hermione raised her eyebrows as Parvati continued this obviously planned speech. "Since you are such a dear friend, we will not charge you our usual matchmaking prices and only ask in exchange that you let us in on your secret so that we may fully help you in your dating endeavors."

Hermione stared at the two inquiring faces incredulously. There was no way in Salem she was going to tell the two biggest gossipers in the school who her secret crush (if that is what one would call it) was. She put on a semi-fake smile. "Sorry, ladies, that is confidential information. Furthermore, I don't believe I will require your services seeing as how I am already fairly confident about how the man in question feels about me."

Parvati and Lavender gaped at her for a minute with their mouths hanging open. They had never been refused before. Lavender was about to protest when Hermione was saved by Ginny rushing up to her. "Hermione! Can you help me with some of my homework before dinner?"

Hermione turned and said yes before noticing the glimmer in Ginny's eyes. The brunette slightly groaned inwardly. Ginny had finally decided to come searching for information. However, at the very least, she could confide in Ginny without the entire world knowing about it by dinner.

"Sorry girls, homework calls," she said to Lavender and Parvati, and walked off with Ginny to the dormitories.

Ginny promptly sat Hermione down and began asking questions. "Did you really just clean cauldrons out the whole time? Was there a confrontation? What all did Harry say to you last night? How did you respond? How is Ron taking the "dark" comment on the list? Well, girl, spill!"

And thus Hermione began the long explanation. Ginny was a very good listener and managed to keep her curious tongue curbed until Hermione had completely relayed the entirety of the night before. At long last, Hermione had explained everything from her conversation with Professor Snape to the one with Harry.

Ginny paused when Hermione had finished, then asked the very questions that had been plaguing Hermione all day, "So, how are you going to break it to Ron, and how are you going to deal with detention tonight?"

Hermione grimaced, "I don't know, Ginny. I'm afraid I'll just have to give Ron the brother speech, as much as I hate to. As for detention, I think I'm going to try to put this whole Snape thing behind me and just go do whatever he tells me to do. I'll just keep my mouth shut the whole time. He can't really force me to answer anything, and as long as I employ some Occlumency against him, I should be fine."

Ginny solemnly nodded. "Best of luck with that plan, Hermione. I don't know if you can keep your mouth shut," she smiled teasingly. "As for Ron, he'll be crushed for a while, but he'll be ok in the end." She then grinned wickedly, "We'll just have to set him up with somebody once the initial shock is over."

"Ginny! How can you even be thinking that far ahead? I basically just told you I'm going to break your brother's heart!"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "It might do his huge male ego some good."

XOX

The girls then headed down to the common room and met up with the boys to go to dinner in the Great Hall. Harry, Ginny, and Neville chatted amiably with Hermione chiming in every so often. Ron was silent.

They had reached the Entrance Hall when Ron pulled Hermione aside, telling the others to go on without them. Hermione inhaled sharply. This was it.

There was an awkward silence while Hermione waited for Ron to initiate conversation. She was about to say something when he suddenly drew her to him and kissed her lips.

Hermione was shocked to say the least and didn't pull back while it registered to her what had really happened. In fact, before she had a chance to do anything, Ron himself had pulled away from the kiss and caught her eyes in a sorrowful stare.

"There's just nothing there, is there, Hermione?" he said with a sigh.

She looked into his eyes and saw a regretful deepness in his eyes that told her in the end, everything would be ok. She hoped it would be ok now as well. She slowly shook her head, "I'm sorry, Ron. You and Harry have always been the best of friends to me, but never anything more. I suppose finding out with our entire potions class wasn't the best way for you to find out. Forgive me?"

He struggled with his answer, but gave her a gruff answer in the affirmative. She reached out to hug him, but he refused her and started for the Hall. "Ron! Please don't do this," she pleaded with him.

"Merlin, Hermione! How do you expect me to deal with this? I've forgiven you, what more do you want? For me to be all sunshine and fairies after you just broke my heart into a million pieces? Guys have feelings too, you know. And even an emotional range larger than a teaspoon." He walked off to the Great Hall leaving Hermione with a tear silently sliding down her cheek.

XOX

Ron sat down at the table next to Harry and across from Ginny silently and began helping himself to some meatloaf. He loved Hermione and after being rejected, didn't know what to do. He knew eventually he'd move on and they'd be able to be friends again, but just how long that was going to take, he didn't know.

XOX

In the shadows of a corner near the Entrance Hall, there was a man who saw the Weasley boy and Granger all over each other. He ignored the sharp pain of jealousy that stabbed his heart and stalked off into the darkness of the dungeons before he could see the tearful argument that had followed the passionate kiss.


	7. Realizations

A/N: Well, shucks. I just noticed a rather annoying mistake in this. Ah well, it's not detrimental to the story, so I'm going to leave it be. Perhaps I'll overhaul this someday and remedy the fact.

I think I finally have a good idea of where I want this to go, and perhaps even have either a possible sequel or another story that could stand on its own in mind.

Again, sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy! This is a series of setting changes.

XOX

Severus Snape was not a fool.

There was no way he was going to let this teenager get to him. It was with this in mind that he decided he would absolutely not talk to her this evening. He even went as far as asking Filch to oversee the detention for him claiming a stack of ungraded papers as his reason.

And yet, in a small, locked away part of his mind, he was sincerely disappointed in the prospect of not being able to verbally spar with her again.

Hermione sat at dinner feeling very awkward after the kiss gone wrong with Ron. While she still didn't and couldn't like him more than a friend, she was terrified of losing his friendship. What was worse, being the worrisome person she was, she was afraid of a strain on her relationship with Harry as well. The only comfort for her was knowing she had Ginny's support.

Conversation tiptoed around Quidditch and minor class assignments. Ron sat determinedly next to Harry, avoiding Hermione at all costs. Harry tried to mend the broken bridges by asking questions to the both of them, but Ron would only answer in one or two word sentences. Ginny was frustrated at her brother and tried kicking him under the table, but that only resulted in getting Ron mad at her and leaving the table mumbling under his breath.

Hermione sighed and excused herself from Harry and Ginny saying she had to go finish a paper before heading off to her second detention. She hurried off in hopes that nobody saw the look of desperation and loss in her eyes.

Harry and Ginny exchanged exasperated looks, sighed, and went back to their dinner and lighter conversation that included winks and flirtation.

XOX

Hermione made her way to the dungeons fully prepared for whatever lay ahead of her. She was not going to offer any information and answer with the barest of replies. Then, following this detention, she was going to put it all behind her and try to forget ever even considering him to be anything more than a sarcastic professor.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked sharply on the dungeon door three times. After an exceptionally long minute the door creaked open to reveal a slimy Filch instead of Snape.

Quickly trying to conceal her surprise, she said, "Good evening, Mr. Filch. I'm here for a detention with Professor Snape."

Filch chuckled maliciously under his breath. "Well, girl, he's passed the detention off to me." Hermione tried not to let her face drop at hearing this, no matter how strong her resolve had been. "No more cauldron scrubbing for you; no, you'll be cleaning out the Owlery without magic.

Hermione recoiled at the very idea and begrudgingly followed Filch up towards the other end of the castle.

XOX

The Potions Master watched her face closely during her interaction with the caretaker. The look on her face . . . was it due to not spending detention with him, or to the task she had at hand? It was surely the latter . . .

Snape sat down at his desk to grade the stack of papers he really did have and found that he could not concentrate. Bushy hair continually popped into his mind's eye and the confident voice of a young woman played over and over again like a broken record. "Yes, I've always defended you" . . . "forgiveness and mercy" . . . "How could you not?" He decided a short walk to the teacher's lounge might clear his mind a bit.

The walk was a rather short one relative to the size of the castle. He met no one on his way and for that he was thankful. He entered the teacher's lounge to find only Minerva McGonagall sitting on one of the comfier lounge chairs reading a book. He raised his eyebrow and commented, "No papers to grade, Minerva?"

She looked up from what she was reading and replied, "Surprisingly, none at the time. Currently all of my classes are working on very long term projects with minor assignments in between that can be graded by a self-grading quill." She smiled. "It's actually rather nice. I can catch up on my romance novels."

Snape gave a repulsive look at the thought of Minerva reading romance novels. "Surely you aren't serious. Do you mean to tell me you read those two knut slutty romance 'novels'?"

Professor McGonagall looked insulted at the statement. "Severus, I do not read any of the slutty kind. There are some very deep, thought provoking stories out there that have elements of romance that I find to be very endearing."

The man snorted. "Meaning you 'aww' and cry over them."

"Does it matter?" Minerva smiled mischievously. "You know, Severus, perhaps one of these books would do you some good. It could bring out your sensitive side. Who knows, you might even feel compelled to find a nice, intelligent witch out there." She let the sentence hang inconclusively.

After pushing the sudden image of Granger from his mind, he sent a look at the Transfiguration professor that stated quite obviously that he was not looking for a witch and would most certainly not read any of her books. However, Severus Snape was just not as quick as Minerva McGonagall. She always could read him like a book, even in school.

"Or, perhaps, Severus, you already have a _young_ witch in mind." Snape jerked at the emphasis she placed on "young." He met her gaze and found those same darn stars twinkling in her eyes that were ever present in Dumbledore's. That woman had to be taking lessons, both in eye twinkling and omniscience.

XOX

With the common room empty for the night, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley enjoyed a peaceful late night snog free of homework (or Hermione's nagging for that matter) hovering over their heads. So engrossed in each other, they didn't notice the redhead at the top of the stairs look on wistfully before going to bed to ponder about what he wanted and could not have, or the brunette who came in very late with the same forlorn look and thoughts etched on her face.


	8. Preparations

A/N: Wow, this is a longer chapter than usual. Hopefully that will make up for my abysmal update rate. I think this story is quickly coming to an end. There's this chapter and then anywhere from 1-3 more after this. However, never fear, there MIGHT be a sequel in the works . . . We'll just have to see what happens.  See the dress here: .com/shop/Jovani_

He watched her from afar for the next month. He watched her eat in the Great Hall, carry her weight in books through the corridors, and slowly brew potions in his class flawlessly. At the same time, he constantly observed the Weasley boy and he couldn't help but notice that he avoided her like the plague. What had happened? He knew what he had seen. Had he misinterpreted? Certainly not. There was no possible way he could have been wrong. A kiss is a kiss, no doubt about it.

XOX

Hermione moved through the paces over the next few weeks. She had managed to avoid detention since the last one, mostly because she didn't want to continue ruining her – almost – perfect reputation. She could tell he wasn't going to bring any more attention to the subject matter and nor was she going to be the one to start it up again.

Her relationship with Ron was still strained. As the weeks went by, they progressed from a completely cold shoulder to a nod of then head and later even the slightest of smiles. Harry tried his best to speed up the process, but it was to no avail. Hermione knew it would take time and understood when Harry spent more time with Ron than her. She found solace in hanging out with Ginny during those times. She recalled the conversation between her and Harry a few days before.

"_Is he any better, Harry?"_

_He didn't respond right away. "I think so. I caught him making eyes at Lavender yesterday, but he denied it fiercely while turning bright red. I think he might like her, which would be a good thing, right? That means he's getting over you?"_

"_I sure hope so. I hate it when we're like this, but this time there's nothing I can really do._

_Harry smirked. "Well, there is one thing."_

_She scowled, one worth of Professor Snape, "Very funny, Harry. We both know I can't."_

_He nodded understandingly. "I know it, you know it, and he knows it. Time heals all."_

_Hermione gave an "mmhmmm" of agreement._

Her infatuation for Professor Snape didn't necessarily disappear, but it didn't grow either. She tried to put it from the front of her mind, and to be honest, she didn't find this very difficult at all when the end of the school year rolled around and the NEWTS were upon them. Her hours were fully devoted to studying, with brief interruptions to glare at the noisemakers in the common room or pester some of her fellow seventh years to study as well.

At last the time had come to take the tests. It was the same as the OWLS had been. Written exams were in the morning, and practical exams were in the afternoons. Hermione would never admit it to anybody for fear of jinxing her good feeling, but she thought she had done pretty well on all of them.

Soon it was near the time of graduation. Classes were over and there was only the graduation ball and the ceremony. Since she was Head Girl, she had been working tirelessly with Dean Thomas and the heads of the other houses to plan a wonderful going out party for the seventh years. They had decided on a grand masquerade as a theme. Students were encouraged to go all out in disguising themselves to make it a complete mystery as to their identity. To add a Cinderella type twist to it, all disguises would be lifted at midnight. Hermione thought it was a wonderful idea and had plans to be totally unrecognizable, but was disappointed to hear many of her friends telling their significant others and such exactly what they would look like. Nevertheless, she was as excited about this ball as a giddy twelve year old.

However, now that NEWTS were over, she found it exceedingly hard to keep Snape from the forefront of her mind. With leaving Hogwarts looming over her like a storm cloud in this respect, she couldn't help but constantly think of him or hope to run into him in the halls. At times she even wished he was escorting her to the ball. She felt so childish at times, like a school girl with her very first crush, but try as she might, she couldn't let it go. She had started a dozen different letters to give to him after the graduation ceremony when she wouldn't be likely to see him again for quite some time, but she couldn't get any of them to sound exactly right. It was like the impossible paper to write, and she just couldn't turn it in till everything was flawless. She was at a loss.

XOX

While her omniscience and eye twinkling had greatly improved, Minerva McGonagall had not quite mastered the subtlety of the Headmaster. Usually if she wanted something done, she was going to be direct about it. And therefore, her first dappling in the art of subtlety was in dealing with persuading one Severus Snape to attend the graduation ball.

Now, at the faculty meeting near the end of the year, Professor Dumbledore had announced that all the professors were to be present to chaperone, much to the Potion Master's dismay. Minerva would never understand why it upset him so much. They had been required to go to the ball every year.

Minerva had been plotting for the past month on how to get Severus and Hermione together after Hermione had graduated. Her keen instincts led her to believe that Severus would eventually be very happy with Hermione as a life companion, and vice versa. However, her matchmaking skills were very limited, so the announcement of the masquerade ball was a welcome surprise. It was with this information that her plan was formed. Tonight was phase one. She had already planted a seed with Professor Vector, and was rewarded during the meeting when the Arithmancy professor spoke up.

"Will we be required to masquerade as well, Albus?"

Albus' eyes twinkled as he pondered the question. With a smile on his face, he answered. "No, I don't think I will _require_ you to disguise yourself. If I recall correctly, I don't think that was part of any of your teaching contracts, but I simply can't imagine a better way to end the year, can you? I plan to be an enigma to those around me. I might even shave my beard," he ended thoughtfully, yet obviously not seriously.

Minerva smiled as the soft groans sounded around her. The headmaster had played perfectly into her plans by planting a guilt trip among the faculty. Phase two was to catch Severus after the meeting. She caught up to him on his way down to the dungeons.

"Shouldn't you be heading the opposite direction, Minerva?"

"Most likely, but I wanted to ask you how you were going to disguise yourself for the ball."

He grunted in irritation. "Can I put a patch over my eye and consider myself disguised?"

Minerva faked shock. "Certainly not. In fact, how about I come and disguise you myself tomorrow evening before the ball?" And with that she had done an about face and walked in the other direction with her heels clicking down the hall.

Snape stared after her wondering what had just taken place.

XOX

It was the morning of the ball and Ginny had insisted on giving Hermione a day of pampering as a graduation gift. The seventh years had received special permission to a day in Hogsmeade if they so desired. Ginny had quickly charmed her way into being allowed to go as well, especially since she was going to the ball as Harry's date.

Their day consisted of manicures and pedicures first followed by getting their hair done. Hermione had decided on coloring her hair a much darker brown with red streaks throughout it for a very dramatic look. She also got magical extensions that lengthened her hair down past her hips. She cast a glamour charm before leaving the salon so that only Ginny would know about her look before the ball.

She and Ginny were soon back inside Gryffindor Tower. The time had passed by so quickly and it was time to begin doing their makeup and getting dressed. Hermione's dress was a deep red with a black bodice. Near the bottom of the dress was a large black floral pattern. The colors of the dress nicely complemented her temporary hair style.

As for her makeup, Hermione had asked Ginny to go really crazy. Ginny had succeeded in her request so well that Hermione's face in itself was almost a mask in itself. Her eyes were painted in a grand butterfly pattern in the same shade of red as her dress and hair. Accents of blue enhanced the look even more, and a touch of a deep red lipstick finished it off. In addition she had slightly altered her facial structures to ensure that absolutely nobody would recognize her.

"_This is going to be the night of my life," _she thought to herself before heading down the stairs the common room.


	9. Hermione

A/N: Wow, this has taken way too long and I apologize for that. I have high hopes of perhaps finishing this before school starts up again in January. There is not much left after this chapter – we've begun the countdown! There are at least two more chapters after this. Possibly an epilogue. Possibly a sequel. The next chapter is actually already written! I just need to edit and put some finishing touches on it! A huge thanks to all my dedicated readers who stick by me and my awful rate of updating. A shameless plug for my other works – if you're a fan of Twilight or Heroes, I just posted some new fanfiction under those categories. Enjoy this next installment of _Pros and Cons_.

Warning: Cheese ahead. Cheesy cheese.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

Lucky for Hermione, there was nobody in the common when she got down the stairs. Everyone had already left. She managed to get close enough to the Great Hall so that nobody would even know the direction, and therefore House, from which she had come.

She stepped into the Great Hall and was in awe by the beautiful decorations adorning the room. Every house was represented in color and a great banner of the Hogwarts seal hung behind the Head Table.

Her entrance to the Great Hall wasn't the fairy tale type. Nobody stared and wondered who the strange girl was. In contrast to the Yule Ball three and a half years ago, she walked in rather quietly and unobserved. It was better that way.

She walked around the edge of the hall just observing and staying out of the way. She recognized Ginny and assumed that was Harry on her arm. Nearby, even without the flaming red hair was Ron. _Better steer clear of over there, even if he can't recognize me._

A sudden movement behind her and a tap on the shoulder caused her to turn around. A boy she couldn't recognize nodded his head in respect and asked her for the next dance. She graciously accepted and he led her out to the dance floor.

After the dance, he bowed and thanked her. She quickly made her way off the dance floor, not wanting to be caught during a song with no one to dance with. She played the wallflower for a while being content to watch the others have fun. Hermione had some fun trying to match names to the disguised faces. Some people were obvious to match up. Draco Malfoy obviously refused to touch his platinum blonde hair, probably in fear of destroying it some way. He stood out as blatantly as Merlin's beard. Others were harder to track down. She could not find Neville at all and was impressed that he had managed such a fantastic costume. _Who helped him?_ She smiled and shook her head. She shouldn't jump to that conclusion. It was possible he had done it on his own.

Ginny must have pointed her out to Harry, because he soon came over and asked her dance. She willing obliged. It was nice to dance with him. They had been through so much together and her love for Harry was strong in the most brotherly fashion. The song ended quickly and she was forced to relinquish Harry back to Ginny. Not wanting to bother them too much in the evening, she disappeared without them noticing.

She made her way towards a table to the side of the room and sat down for awhile. She looked at the hourglass in the corner of the room. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. It was only about 10:00. Hermione felt like it was much later than that. Watching other couples dance and sometimes make fools of themselves, she sat at the table by herself, content for the time being. She was about to get up and move somewhere else when she was joined by a dark haired boy, who soon struck up conversation with her.

At first, she wasn't too terribly interested in talking to someone. Besides, he seemed rather shy, but then he had told her she looked beautiful. What girl can resist a compliment? _I suppose I should respond, _she thought to herself. "Well, thank you. Are you enjoying the masquerade?"

A look of hesitation passed across his face for a second. "It's been alright so far. The concept of a masquerade is an interesting choice. For all we know right now, you could be a Gryffindor and I, a Slytherin. An interesting situation we could be in come midnight."

Hermione found that to be an interesting comment to make. She allowed herself only a second's grace to consider whether he really was a Slytherin, or even possibly the Head of the house. _That's ridiculous._

Now, Hermione had very few bad habits, but one of them was babbling when she was nervous. It was in this instance that this personality trait surfaced. She launched off into a long complicated one-sided discussion about the possible consequences of them becoming cordial to each other and then discovering the truth of their house loyalties.

Even though she realized she was babbling incessantly, she couldn't bring herself to stop. Perhaps one of her worst fears was an awkward silence. A good ten minutes must have passed before she finally forced herself to reach her hand out to her glass and pick it up to take a sip of punch. In this short moment, the boy across from her, who had so patiently listened to her rambling, asked her to dance. She agreed and accepted his hand as he led her to the dance floor.

She gasped slightly in surprise as he took her hand in his and placed his hand around her waist. Her other hand automatically went up to his shoulder. It was a pleasant surprise to find somebody who still danced like this with a lady. Most of the other couples in the hall danced with 'her' hands around 'his' neck, and 'his' hands around 'her' waist. She felt content in this older style. _I bet this is how Sev-Snape would dance._ She winced for just a moment as the thought of him entered her mind. _And I had been doing so well recently to delete him from my thoughts._

She pushed it from her mind and instead concentrated on everything the young man in front of her had to say. As the conversation flowed from Potions to Arithmancy, to the pointlessness of Divination, she found herself thinking that she could talk to him for hours. She wondered who it could be. As they silently decided they were done dancing, they headed outside to take a walk, oblivious to everyone in sight. As they left the Great Hall, Hermione stole a glance at the hourglass and noticed that it was nearing midnight. _Perhaps I'll find out who my mystery man is before the night is up_, she thought anxiously.

Their conversation never coming to a halt, they took a seat on a bench. Hermione looked around and was enchanted to find herself amidst roses. The chatter slowly came to a stopping point. _How beautiful this is! A cloudless starry night, the smell of roses filling the air, and a man I could talk to for hours on end about real, intellectual things. _She smiled in complete contentment. Raising her eyes to the heavens, a shooting star dashed across the night sky.

She made a wish. _Even if just for this one night, let me near the man I have so often dreamed of._

The clock struck midnight.


	10. Snape

Minerva McGonagall headed for the dungeons with her mind set. She was going to turn Severus into the handsomest man in the room tonight and, even better, nobody would recognize him. She reached his door and knocked crisply.

"Who is it and what do you want?" a grumpy voice echoed from within.

Without hesitation, Minerva walked right on in without a formal invitation from Severus. "Have you forgotten already, Severus? I'm here to masquerade you for the ball tonight."

She found him lounging in a chair reading a thick, heavy book. "I had hoped you were merely joking about that, Minerva."

"Nonsense. Now stand up and let's get started."

Severus begrudgingly agreed and let the torture begin. For his disguise she had planned for him to appear as a 7th Year. In no time at all, even the professors would have been fooled by him. Placing a charm to make certain the costume stayed place until midnight might have been a bit much, but she wasn't taking any chances. Furthermore, Minerva wasn't finished yet. She had a few more things to take care of. Before he knew what hit him, Minerva had placed several well aimed charms. She smiled to herself. At least she would be somewhat pleasant and lift these charms when he was doing what he was supposed to do that night.

Severus Snape was annoyed to say the least. Minerva had gone way out of line with her "disguising." He was totally unrecognizable – he could pass for one of the students in fact. And even worse, Minerva had placed an un-removable spell on the entire costume that wouldn't wear off until midnight.

But no, the witch had not stopped there. Before he could protest, she had placed several complex charms on him. As he stared at her with his mouth open, he managed to question her as to what exactly she had just done.

"Oh, nothing really. I just made sure that you would dance a few times tonight."

A few times was an understatement. Minerva's charm had made damned sure that he danced with somebody every twenty minutes. Minerva danced with him once, but afterwards turned him down saying, "Go find some nice _young_ witch to dance with, Severus." There was that emphasis on 'young' again. She knew, didn't she?

He danced with Professors Sinistra, Pomfrey, Hooch, and Sprout, but even after all that, only an hour and a half had passed. There was still at least two more hours of this torture and none of them would dance a second time.

He meandered over to the punch table to get a drink before the charm triggered him to ask somebody else. So far, he had asked someone to dance plenty within the allotted twenty minutes. Snape knew better than to let the time run up and see what Minerva had in store for him.

As he made a quick glance over the room, he quickly found a girl who wasn't hideous and promptly made his way over to dance with her. Lucky for him, the next song was rather short and he was free for another twenty minutes. He would have to find an awful curse to place upon Minerva, maybe even one that could last all summer to pay her back for this.

Too soon his twenty minutes were up and he almost grabbed a girl and dragged her out onto the dance floor. Unfortunately for him, this was a long slow song and he found his thoughts drifting to inappropriate places. _I should think dancing with Hermione would be something different than dancing with this girl. She would engage her partner in stimulating conversation between dances. And she would be so soft and warm to hold while swaying back and forth. _A sudden upbeat drum set interrupted his thoughts as the song changed. He hastily bowed to his partner and stormed off. He should not be thinking like that at all, but ever since that detention he couldn't stop thinking about her. Even after witnessing the kiss between her and Weasley, some small part of him hoped it hadn't meant anything to her.

_This is foolishness_, he thought to himself. He repeated the mantra he had been trying to drill into his head like a broken record. _She is a student; I am a teacher. She is a student; I am a teacher. _And it would work for awhile.

Until that little voice spoke up and ruined it. _Not for much longer._

He growled in frustration causing confused looks from a nearby couple. Snape tried his famous sneer, but it was to no avail. Without the greasy black hair, the pointed nose, and billowing robes, it just didn't work.

Wanting to sit down before having to get up and dance again, Snape searched for an empty table, but there was none to be found. He finally settled on one in the corner of the room that only had one girl sitting at it. He felt a strange pull towards this table after he set his eyes on it. _Nonsense._ At any rate, she could be his next dance. Heck, if he was lucky, maybe she wouldn't mind dancing with him the rest of the night.

Though he could have approached her silently, he purposefully made some noise so as not to frighten her. She curiously looked up to see who it was, but made no effort to talk to him or anything of the sort. Very out of character for him, he said hello to her.

She said hello back, but did not attempt to continue the conversation. They sat in awkward silence for a minute. _She's very beautiful_, he thought to himself.

_Tell her that,_ commented that voice in his head. Perhaps this voice had a point. He could be a student once again. Nobody knew who he was here. Maybe for just one night he could forget that he was the Greasy Bat of the Dungeons or Snivellus. He could be normal.

_And you can pretend that she's Hermione_, that sly voice interjected.

Shaking his head to try and rid himself of the irritating voice, he turned to the girl. "You look very lovely tonight."

The girl turned to him with surprise written in her face. A blush crept up on her cheeks. "Well, thank you. Are you enjoying the masquerade?"

_The compliment seemed to work, _Snape thought. _She's started to talk now, but what answer should I give? Yes, or no?_ "It's been alright so far. The concept of a masquerade is an interesting choice. For all we know right now, you could be a Gryffindor and I, a Slytherin. An interesting situation we could be in come midnight."

This seemed to spark an interest in the girl and she started off into a multitude of what-ifs. Severus found these interesting for awhile, but then he realized that his twenty minutes was close to being up. He didn't want to appear rude and ask her to dance by interrupting her, but every time he thought she was finished, she jumped into something else before he could get a word in edgewise.

While she babbled, he wondered who the girl was. When he attempted to use Legimency on her, he got no reading whatsoever. _She must be using Occlumency. She's skilled to be blocking her mind so well while going on and on about this Slytherin and Gryffindor mess._

Finally, with a minute to go, she reached for her glass to take a sip of punch. Severus leaped at the opportunity. "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled and accepted immediately. They made their way to the dance floor and Severus noticed the surprise on her face when he took her right hand in his left the old fashioned way to dance. The song following was another slow couples dance, but Severus found that he didn't mind so much. She continued to talk, but they soon found themselves talking on other fascinating subjects. Potions, Arithmancy, and countless other theoretical topics graced their lips for many dances following that one. When they grew weary, they absentmindedly began strolling about the gardens never ceasing conversation, nor noticing that their hands were still entwined together.

The two finally settled on a bench surrounded by rose bushes. Snape was dumbfounded by this girl. Throughout the conversation his mind wandered to who it could be. Surely there was only one student, but dare he dream it was her? Surely not. It was probably some alumni the Headmaster had invited.

Their talking slowed as they let themselves sit in a comfortable silence. Severus allowed himself to gaze at the stars and noticed one shoot across the sky as the clock struck twelve.

Minerva smiled to herself. She had lifted the twenty minute curse when she noticed Severus and Hermione leave the hall for the garden hand in hand. _If we're lucky, the graduation this year could prove interesting._

A/N: Many of you have commented on how our two heroes might have recognized each other. Well, Minerva and Hermione each were dead-set on completely disguising the two love-struck protagonists respectively. Voices were changed, facial bone structure; anything you can think of was charmed to appear different.

I'm sorry to those of you who were hoping to find out what happens when the clock strikes 12 (so Cinderella-ish . . .), but I thought it would be interesting to do a chapter on each person's point of view. I quite like the way it worked out. Hopefully the next chapter will be out before the New Year. (Hopefully!)

With that being said, I wish everybody a very Merry (Happy) Christmas and Happy Holidays!


	11. Midnight

A/N: Hi out there. It's been awhile. School tends to do that to me . . . can't get a word written. Anyway, we're out for the semester and I hope to wrap this fic up this summer.

This particular chapter would have been out sooner except:

I recently got a new job because I needed money for number two.

I moved into my first apartment!

Star Trek came out two weeks ago.

I had absolutely no idea how to write this chapter.

With those four factors in mind, I've had precious little writing time, but nevertheless, here is the next chapter in Pros and Cons!

"_I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale. I'm not the one you sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell." _- Taylor Swift's "White Horse" (which I don't own)

XOX

The clock's bells chimed their way towards twelve. After a slight hesitation, she made her decision. _It's now or never. Take a risk for once in your life. You may never get this chance again! _And with that thought she leaned over and kissed the boy next to her.

He recoiled at first in surprise, but soon returned the kiss. The clocked chimed eight, then nine. Not paying attention, the two were wrapped up in each other. His hands were tangled in her hair; hers were wrapped around his neck. Neither paid anymore attention to the ringing in the distance. Both were consumed with the bliss they now shared.

Ten . . .

_I can't believe I'm doing this; this is craz . . . ._

Eleven . . .

_This could end so badly, but what if . . ._

And the clock chimed its twelfth chime. The two felt their bone structures fluctuate back into place. He broke off the kiss, but both of them still had their eyes closed, terrified of what they might find when they opened them.

XOX

Minerva McGonagall was slightly ashamed for what she had just done, but nevertheless, she wanted to know what was going on. Throughout the whole night she had kept her eyes locked onto Severus without being too obvious. Having no clue how Hermione was disguised, she could only cross her fingers that they ran into each other at some point throughout the night. She watched as he danced with girl after girl only because he was forced to. It wasn't until he sat down next to a redhead that she started to have hope that this could actually work. He asked her to dance when his next 20 minutes were up and she watched with heightened interest as they started actually conversing. Their eyes lit up and their body language showed interest in each other, even if subtly.

When they walked out to the courtyard hand in hand she had to keep from jumping up and down in anticipation. _Please let it be Hermione under that disguise._ She glanced at the hourglass and noticed it was close to midnight._ I don't want to wait to find out if it's her. It couldn't hurt to follow them_.

And so she did. Making sure Albus' attention was concentrated elsewhere (indeed, he and Pomona had danced all evening), she slipped quietly out towards the gardens where she had last seen them.

They were sitting comfortably next to each other on a bench near some rose bushes. It seemed the silence had befallen momentarily. A loud chime signaled to them and Minerva that midnight was here. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Minerva transformed into a cat and stealthily got closer to the couple.

She watched as they just stared at each other, but then the girl leaned in and kissed the boy. She felt even more hope rise up within her. _If this isn't Hermione, this could really turn into a mess._

Minerva sat nervously through three more chimes and then the twelfth struck. She watched as their disguises melt away. Severus shifted back and she looked over to see none other than Hermione Granger engaged in a kiss with the Potions Master.

A fleeting second of triumph swept through Minerva. And then the reality of the situation hit her. What was going to happen when they realized who the other was? Unfortunately, she realized, it probably wasn't going to be a romantic profession of love for each other. The reality of what she had done hit her. _What if I've made things worse for them?_

The least she could do now was cast a Notice-Me-Not charm so any other couple in the garden would be oblivious to whatever happened.

XOX

Severus took a deep breath and prepared himself to open his eyes. Though he tried to deny it to himself, he very much wanted it to be one particular brunette.

He opened his eyes and was almost excited for a quickly passing moment, but then he realized the gravity of the situation. Of age or not, she was still his student.

Looking down on the figure before him, he saw that her eyes were still closed. Knowing that somebody had to break the silence, he softly whispered, "Hermione, open your eyes."

That voice could only belong to one person. She turned towards his voice and obliged. A quick gasp befell her lips as she took in who was before her. Severus Snape was sitting where only a moment ago there was the young boy. Her wish had come true. Here was the handsome Potions Master she had fallen for. But what would happen now? Worry lined her face as she braced herself for what words he might have for her.

But then a dark look overcame the professor's face. She was obviously now displeased in what had happened. To protect himself and his heart from any more beatings he scowled at her. "I imagine now that you've experienced what it's like to be with me, you can add one more entry to your cons side."

What he had said didn't process with Hermione at first and she hesitated. "No . . . I didn't . . ."

"Your excused are unneeded, Miss Granger. I will leave you now and we can forget this whole thing ever happened. You graduate tomorrow, and we shall never have to see each other again."

Hermione again started her feeble protestations, but without another word he swept up and was gone.

XOX

Minerva looked on with disappointment filling her heart. She hadn't succeeded. She had failed. He was yelling at her, and shortly after stalked off into the night. The heartbreak between the two of them was all her fault.

She transformed back and slowly made her way back towards the castle rather upset at how the whole situation turned out. Not noticing where she was going, she ran into a solid object.

"Oof," Minerva looked up to see the Headmaster. She quickly straightened up and hoped fervently that he didn't know what she had just been up to. Minerva smiled, "Good evening, Albus."

His eyes twinkled. _Damn it,_ she thought. He knows.

"It is a shame it turned out this way. Such a lovely evening for a bit more romance in the air, don't you think, Minerva?"

She hesitated for a moment while it registered what he had just said. "You knew the whole time?"

"Why, of course, my dear. I do make it a point to know everything that goes on in the castle. Mark of a good headmaster I always thought. I was actually going to intervene myself, but you beat me to it. So, I thought I'd let you handle it."

The guilt washed over the deputy headmistress again. "You should have, Albus. See the mess I've made of things?" she admitted quietly.

Professor Dumbledore smiled gently. "I don't believe it was your fault. Severus does tend to overreact to things. It'll all work out in the end."

Minerva sighed. "I do hope you're right."

XOX

The tears started to fall freely from Hermione's eyes. She knew she should run after him and tell him that was the best moment of her life, but the look in his eyes had been so cold and dark. It was then that she realized there was no hope for a future for her and the man that had completely captured her heart.

How she made it back to her room always remained a mystery to her later in life. The blurred memories had glimpses of Ginny coming back later, trying to console her friend, warm arms around her, rocking her off to sleep.

The next thing she knew, the sun was shining in and it was the morning of graduation.


	12. Graduation

A/N at end.

_The next thing she knew, the sun was shining in and it was the morning of graduation._

Hermione blinked her eyes as she woke to the bright sun streaming through her window. She reached around feeling for her covers only to find they weren't there. _What the . . ._ she rolled over and found Ginny curled up in her comforter sound asleep. _Ginny must have fallen asleep here last night trying to comfort me._ Hermione smiled. She really was a great friend, even if she did steal her covers.

Her smile quickly disappeared as she remembered the events of last night though. The tears threatened to start up again, but Hermione bit her tongue and stopped them in their tracks. She had cried enough for now.

A warm bath, she decided, was the best option for thinking things over. She wrote a quick note to Ginny telling her not to worry and headed off for the Prefect's bathroom. She wished she could have borrowed the Invisibility Cloak or the Map from Harry to avoid being seen, but she found later that she didn't need to. It was so early the morning after the ball that none of the students were up and about yet. She managed down the corridors without seeing a single soul.

After saying the password, she dropped her stuff by the side of the pool and turned on her favorite faucet filled with huge lavender bubbles. As it filled, she removed her makeup from the night before and attempted to slightly disentangle her hair before wetting it. She then stripped down and slid into the warm water.

After swimming a few laps, for it was indeed large enough, she laid back and floated. Staring up at the ceiling, her mind replayed the events of last night over and over again. Unfortunately the one bad incident seemed to overwhelmingly outweigh the good.

"_. . . one more entry to the cons . . . excuses are unneeded . . . Miss Granger . . . never have to see each other again . . ."_

It hurt all over again, but now with a semi-clearer head, Hermione could ponder just what she was going to do about it. She knew she couldn't just let it pass her by without doing something, but the question was what to do and how to do it. And in true Hermione Granger fashion, she decided to make a list.

XOX

Severus Snape woke the next morning with a headache. A horrible headache at that, but that's what he got for drinking himself into oblivion last night.

Stumbling across the room he reached into his cabinet for a Hangover Potion. Gulping it down, he trudged over to the shower. Sometimes he did his best thinking in the shower. It was a solitary place where you could be sure of no interruptions by pesky headmasters or squabbling students.

How could he have let his hopes get so high? He of all people should know better to not let his heart be put on the line.

Still angry at himself, he stepped out of the shower, dried, and dressed. He heard his wards go off and walked out to meet his visitor.

He was greeted by a rather upset Minerva McGonagall. Her brow was knit in guilt and sorrow and she was wringing her hands back and forth.

"Can I help you, Minerva? You seem rather upset," he cautiously began.

"Er, yes, um, actually," Minerva stuttered. Severus raised an eyebrow. She was never quite so nervous. Something must really be wrong.

"Minerva, just tell me what it is you need to tell me."

"I, uh, came to apologize. I tried to be Albus and interfered in your life in a way I shouldn't have. I am partially responsible for throwing you and Miss Granger together last night . . ." she trailed off as Severus realized what she had said.

He sneered at her. "Perhaps, then this will teach you to keep your nose out of other people's business? We are almost late for the graduation ceremony."

And with that he stalked out of the room.

XOX

Hermione stood as Ginny put the final touches on her graduation robes. Ginny was mumbling to herself, so Hermione had a chance to think over the course of the day. She had spent it mostly by herself, but she and Harry took a walk around the lake mid afternoon. Ron joined them for a short time with a sheepish grin on his face. He had attended the ball with Lavender and had obviously had a grand time. Neither Ron nor Hermione apologized, but Ron made some comment about it being graduation and friends shouldn't hate each other. Hermione had smiled at him and all was well for the time. They would probably have words later, but for now on their graduation day, she let it be.

Her mind then went to the list she had compiled that morning.

She was nervous for the ceremony. It would be the first time since the night before that she would see him. Greeting him in the line of Professors made her incredibly anxious.

"Hermione?" She snapped back to real life. Ginny was finished.

"Thank you, Ginny. I appreciate it."

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much next year. What am I going to do without you?"

Hermione smiled at her friend. "You'll be fine and we'll keep in touch."

The two locked arms and headed down the stairs. The met up with Harry and Ron and headed towards the Great Hall.

XOX

Graduation was all pomp and circumstance. Hermione felt unsettled at the fact that this was the last time she would be at Hogwarts – as a student at least. Part of her would like to come back and teach someday perhaps. She looked around the Great Hall at so many faces, wondering who of them she'd keep in contact with, and then, with a sense of foreboding, who she might never see again.

She shook the thought from her mind and focused on Draco's salutatorian speech. With a smile on her lips, she thought of how much he had changed in the past year since Voldemort's demise. He would turn out alright.

Applause started as he stepped down and smirked at her. She stood up and prepared to give her speech. Some of the Ravenclaws near the back scowled good-naturedly.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped up to the lectern, amplified her voice magically, and began on a humorous note.

"I see those scowls in the back. I looked up the information in _Hogwarts, A History_. The last time the title of Valedictorian was bestowed upon a member of a house other than Ravenclaw was in 1978 when our own Potions Master, Professor Snape, graduated. Not to worry, perhaps it will be another twenty years before it happens again.

"We have been through much the past seven years, but I'm not going to go into it all for that is not the point. We have faced life, death, OWLS, NEWTS, Professor Umbridge . . ." a chuckle went up through the crowd. "But while our past and history are important, we must look to the future. A future that is now brighter and grander than any of us could have dreamed of seven years ago when we boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

"Even though we will always carry with us the pride of our own individual house, we are no longer confined to the stereotypes and profiles of that house. We are our own individual who will contribute to our society in whatever way is best for us. Perhaps as we put the walls of Hogwarts behind us, we can put our biases behind us as well. As a whole, we have innumerable gifts to offer the wizarding world. Let us not withhold them due to our inability to learn from the past and put it behind us. Break the chains of our past and our house that could hold us back.

"Remember what we have in common, not what makes us different. Congratulations class of 1998 and best wishes for the future."

A tear threatened to fall from Hermione's eye, but she bit her tongue and forced it to stop as applause erupted from the students. She turned to go back to seat and for a second caught Professor Snape's eyes. She stared at him for as long as possible without seeing awkward and returned to her seat.

The diplomas were then handed out. As each student stepped forward to the front of the Great Hall, they shook hands with their Head of House and then the Headmaster. Hermione smiled as she thought how they had come full circle. They were sorted by the hat in alphabetical order and now, they graduated, not by house, but again in alphabetical order. It seemed to go along with her speech quite nicely.

Not that anybody would have noticed it, but her speech had a double meaning. One that only one person would understand. Hopefully he would understand everything after she had left.

Finally the ceremony was over and the seventh years were hugging, crying, promising to keep in touch and they were off to the Hogwarts Express with the world at their fingertips.

XOX

Severus Snape headed back to his quarters after the ceremony his mind not quite wrapped around the speech Hermione Granger had given. With that pointed look she had given him afterwards, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a point she was trying to make. Knowing, her there certainly was.

His thoughts and emotions were running wild. He couldn't keep up with all the thoughts flying through his mind. He was angry at Minerva, angry at Hermione Granger, angry at himself, and angry at the world.

He stormed into his classroom and looked around. _Irritating brats are gone for another two months._ And yet, something would never be the same here again. _Yes, the annoying son of the almighty James Potter will not be back to torment me._ But that wasn't it and he knew it.

Striding over to his desk, he sat down, put his head in his hands. and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he noticed a letter he hadn't seen there before. On it was Severus Snape in a fluid cursive handwriting he had graded many times before.

A/N: So, we're wrapping this up. There is one more chapter to this story and then it will end. There is a sequel that I'm already writing though, so keep your eyes peeled. I'm sorry if my graduation speech was lame . . . and I don't even know if Britain observes valedictorian/salutatorian . . . sorry if it's completely wrong. You might also be interested to know that I have a brand new idea for a SS/HG fic, but I think I will mark this one complete first.

You may be wondering about Ron joining up with them right before graduation . . . I had an awful fight with my best friend four days before we graduated and we didn't talk at all for another three months. Even to this day we are on polite terms only. I couldn't let that happen. Ron and Hermione will still probably fight this battle out, but they will forgive each other like they always do. However, Hermione has been too hurt by Severus and Ron is too infactuated with Lavender for anything to spark between them. Plus, that would screw up my sequel, now, wouldn't it?


	13. Letters

Severus Snape unfolded the letter with slightly trembling hands. What on earth could that witch possibly have to say to him after what had happened last night? A bit apprehensive, he took a deep breath and read.

_Dear Professor Snape,_

_By the time you read this, I shall be on my way home on the Hogwarts Express for the last time. I had an inclination to address this letter to Severus because of this, but due to the fact that I am still a student as I am writing this, I cannot in good presence of mind do so._

_As my head cleared this morning, I decided I had two options. I could either let last night pass by without ever bringing it up, or I could talk to you about it. I obviously decided on the latter, though I feel very un-Gryffindor for writing a letter instead of talking to you in person. However, with graduation and the time constraints being what they are, I decided this was most efficient._

_Concerning the events of last night – first and foremost my face betrayed me. The look you saw and the look I intended to give were not the same. I was quite surprised and astonished, but certainly not disgusted. In fact, it was as far from disgust as you could possible get._

_Last night was everything I ever dreamed a ball ought to be as I was growing up – intellectual discussion while dancing, a stroll in the moonlight, and a midnight kiss. And no matter how the night ended, I will always treasure the blissful evening I was lucky enough to share with you._

_After I came to the decision to send you a letter, there was one other choice to be made – how to deal with my continuing feelings for you. After the detention incident, I tried damn hard to forget about you. I almost succeeded, or at least I told myself that I did. I let myself believe I didn't harbor any more feelings for you, but when you were the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last thing before I fell asleep at night, I realized it was pointless._

_However, while I didn't know of your feelings towards me one way or the other, I could still hope. I could dream of a future of us together. I realize now that this isn't possible. Perhaps you were right; perhaps this was just a silly school girl crush. I pondered over that for most of today. My conclusion was that while a silly school girl crush it might be, there was potential for so much more. That was proven last night when we talked for hours._

_I've realized that I'm rambling a little bit. The point of this letter is this: I do not think ill of you, nor am I repulsed by you. You have my highest respect for everything you are and have done. Nothing can ever change that. Perhaps someday we can still find a friendship._

_Do not feel that this letter needs a response; I do not expect one at all._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione Granger_

Severus Snape had to blink a few times. Then he reread it. Then he read it one more time. Then he sat back and took another deep breath. She had always been so eloquent, but this letter was something else.

But even more important, he had wronged her terribly. He had accused her of something she had not done because of his own insecurities. He read the last paragraph one more time. Not replying would be an insult to her. He reached for his quill, but the words didn't come to him for quite some time.

XOX

Hermione faked her way through the trip home. She couldn't pull her friends down from their celebrations because of her own depressing feelings. She was pretty sure she had everyone fooled, except perhaps Ginny, but she had the sense to not say anything then and there.

The train pulled into King's Cross and the Hogwarts students and recent graduates disembarked to greet their families. Harry and Hermione meandered their way towards the Weasley clan as Ron went on ahead towards them.

Molly had already suffocated Ron with her hug when the two of them got there. She promptly enveloped them in a hug as well. "Harry, Hermione, congrats as well! I'm so proud of all of you!" They all chatted amiably for a few minutes. After the teenagers made plans for the summer, they all apparated away.

Hermione went straight to her parents' house. As soon as they heard the 'pop' in the kitchen, they huried in and praised her for gradation and hugged her.

She soon settled into her life at home. She and Ron had had a fantastic argument when they trio met in Diagon Alley one day for lunch, but within another two weeks they had fixed everything, especially since Ron and Lavender were officially dating.

Harry was entering the Ministry for Auror training in the fall and had found a flat in a small London suburb. Ron had secured a position as second string Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Hermione was attending the University of Avalon to pursue a degree in Healing.

With all the hustle and bustle of the summer, she tried to forget Severus Snape, but he was always there in the back of her mind. Even though she had told him she didn't expect an answer, deep down she really wanted one. She just needed some closure to the experience.

It wasn't until the week before she left for school that an unfamiliar owl knocked on her window. She let the bird in and took the letter from his leg. The owl promptly flew off and obviously didn't expect a reply. She saw the Hogwarts seal on the letter and wondered what the school could possibly want from her.

When she opened the letter, however, she immediately realized what the castle wanted with her when she saw the handwriting. It had graced her papers in red ink for the past seven years. Taking a deep breath she read.

_Miss Granger,_

_I have found myself unable to write to you for the past couple of months since receiving your letter. While I knew that not replying to you would be an insult, I couldn't find the right way to express myself._

_It seems I must apologize for my hasty behavior on that night. I have always had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions and I apparently leaped this time. I hope you can indeed forgive me for this and, as you said, someday perhaps we can find a collegial friendship._

_My best wishes on your continued studies at Avalon._

_Sincerely,_

_S.S._

In spite of herself, Hermione couldn't help but smile. He never did seem like a man of many words and the letter quite suited him. She folded the letter away and packed along with her other important papers.

A month later when she was sorting through some papers she came across the letter again. It was then she realized that the letter had indeed been the closure she craved. Her first few weeks at Avalon had been amazing and she realized she had even given a second look to one of the boys in her Potions in Healing class.

And that night, she didn't think of Severus once before falling asleep, but rather him.

A/N: So, I know that this fic didn't quite end the way many of you probably hoped it will, but don't worry. As I've told many of you, there is a sequel to this story. In fact I'm already into the first chapter. I will probably put an update to this story when I post the new one, or just add me on author alert.

I can't thank all of you enough for staying with me for almost two years on this story. Each and every review has meant a lot to me. It was probably this story and all of your encouragement that kept me writing fanfiction. Thank you.


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